After the head chef went down, service at the sushi restaurant slowed noticeably.
Since Oguri Cap had eaten through most of the restaurant's ingredients, the kitchen had to save what was left for the customers coming later, so by the end, the staff were actually asking Sakuraba Ryo and the others not to order anything else.
By that point, Sakuraba Ryo had no intention of staying any longer anyway, so he called over a server to settle the bill.
That sushi feast had cost him close to 300,000 yen. And considering the head chef's hand had cramped up because of Oguri Cap, Sakuraba Ryo thoughtfully left another 100,000 yen as compensation for the lost work.
So in the end, he had spent around 400,000 yen.
To Sakuraba Ryo, this was practically an unexpected blessing.
In fact, it had not even been easy to spend that much. When it came time to pay, the restaurant's manager had actually insisted that Sakuraba Ryo was someone the owner had specifically instructed them to take care of, so they should not charge him at all.
But in the end, Sakuraba Ryo had stubbornly insisted on paying anyway.
Damn it, what right do you have to stop me from spending money?!
Before leaving, Sakuraba Ryo even specifically asked the manager who the owner of the restaurant was.
"Huh? You really didn't know?"
The manager was utterly shocked that Sakuraba Ryo apparently had no idea who owned the place, but after his surprise, he still answered the question.
"Half the businesses on this street are connected to the owner, and you should know the owner's name very well…"
"Uh…?"
By this point, Sakuraba Ryo was nothing but confusion.
"This is Belno family property."
"Hah?"
Sakuraba Ryo let out the most astonished sound of his life.
...
"Hey… is Sakuraba really okay like that?"
In one of the lounge rooms at Tracen Academy, Sakuraba Ryo was currently standing in the corner facing the wall, hunched over with both hands braced on his knees in total shutdown mode, while Tamamo Cross asked worriedly from the side.
"Mm… if it's Ryo… he should be okay, right?"
Even Oguri Cap sounded uncertain when she spoke. Clearly, this was the first time she had ever seen Sakuraba Ryo looking this crushed.
Yes. Sakuraba Ryo was currently in a state of absolute, catastrophic dejection.
Once the name "Belno" came up, and once he thought about people connected to himself, there was only one possible answer left after process of elimination!
Aaaah——!
Belno Light!
You betrayed me——!!
Weren't you supposed to be the kind of perfectly ordinary Umamusume who couldn't quite do anything especially well and lived a totally average everyday life?!
What do you mean, the unremarkable Umamusume I invested in is actually a super-rich heiress who owns half a street in one of Tokyo's most prosperous districts?!
Hey!
Why the hell would a rich young lady like that be studying in Kasamatsu?!
Damn it!
And why, back when I invested in you, did you have to look all touched and overwhelmed?!
The thought that he might never have needed to painstakingly accumulate money through the Loss System at all—that he might have been able to reach the pinnacle of life just by living off Belno Light instead—made Sakuraba Ryo's heart ache unbearably.
Damn it all!
Don't show me a possibility this cruel!
The only thing that gave Sakuraba Ryo a little comfort was that Belno Light's profit-making in Tokyo did not seem to have been recognized by the System as his profit.
Mainly because the money Belno Light transferred had never actually gone into Sakuraba Ryo's bank account, so it did not count as his money.
Unless Belno Light transferred those profits directly to him, in which case it really would count as profit.
But something like that probably would not happen.
After all, those shops should be businesses Belno Light had built through her own efforts, and their profits had nothing to do with him.
Probably… nothing to do with him, right?
"Ryo…? Are you really okay? If you're not feeling well, maybe you should go to the infirmary."
Seeing Sakuraba Ryo's expression twist even further, Tamamo Cross assumed something was physically wrong and stepped forward to check on him.
"No… I'm fine. I'm just… emotionally exhausted."
With all the life gone from his eyes, Sakuraba Ryo answered Tamamo Cross like a machine.
"Are you really okay…? You look like you're about to die any second…"
"N-no…"
Sakuraba Ryo opened his mouth, and it was like half his soul drifted out with the words.
There's no need to fight anymore…
"Ryo! Don't die on me——!"
As she shook Sakuraba Ryo, Tamamo Cross turned and shouted to Oguri Cap,
"Come help calm him down!"
"O-oh!"
Only then did Oguri Cap belatedly step forward and gently start stroking Sakuraba Ryo's head, trying to bring him back to himself.
And right in the middle of the two of them trying to revive him, Kitahara pushed open the door and came in from outside.
"Sakuraba-san——! There's something I want to ask you——!"
"Huh?"
Naturally, the first thing he saw was Sakuraba Ryo surrounded by girls.
"Did I… come at a bad time?"
"Ahem… no, no…"
With the girls soothing him, Sakuraba Ryo finally managed to pull himself together.
Looking at Kitahara, he said,
"Go on. What was it you wanted to ask?"
"The fact that you actually have something to ask me is pretty unusual in itself."
"Mm…"
Kitahara nodded, but he did not speak right away. Instead, he glanced at Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap beside Sakuraba Ryo, looking hesitant.
"Ah, it's getting late. I should be heading back."
Realizing that Kitahara apparently had something he could not say in front of her and Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross found an excuse and got ready to leave.
"Oh, right, Oguri Cap, come outside with me. There's something I want to tell you."
"…"
Oguri Cap looked at Tamamo Cross's face for a moment, then nodded and followed her out.
Once the two of them had gone, only Sakuraba Ryo and Kitahara were left in the room.
"Now it's just the two of us. Whatever you were too embarrassed to say, say it."
"Ahem… to be honest, I already know what the problem was with what you said to me before, Sakuraba-san!"
After hesitating a little, Kitahara finally said it.
"You were right. If I want Oguri to run in the Japanese Derby, then it's not enough for her to stay at her current level!"
"If she hasn't mastered a domain, then even if she goes to the Japanese Derby, she won't be able to win with certainty… so!"
At that point, Kitahara bent deeply at the waist toward Sakuraba Ryo and pleaded with utter sincerity.
"Sakuraba-san! Please teach me how to teach Oguri a domain!"
"?"
Looking at Kitahara bowing before him, Sakuraba Ryo slowly produced a question mark.
The hell is a domain?
No, seriously?
You're the Trainer, and you're asking me?
How the hell would I know??
Why do you think I'd know something you don't even know yourself?
At this point, Sakuraba Ryo was convinced Kitahara was some kind of top-tier troll.
Damn it, I ought to dock your pay!
No, wait…
Wouldn't I be the one suffering if I docked his pay?
Then I'll raise it! I'll raise it hard!
---
T/N: uhhh yes they use zone, but since uncle specifically already mentioned zone but said he prefers using the term domain, it seems kitahara jo will be using domain also tsk tsk tsktsktsktsktkstkstkstksktsktskttskstkstk
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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